Princess Assault Transport?

deathjester · August 14, 2011, 04:48:51 AM

Just pondering about flying boats being kept in service, as their go - anywhere virtues had been realised, and the idea popped into my head of their use as an assault transport for Army/Marines. Would they be able to carry Landing Craft, or would that require too much modification?

sandiego89 · August 14, 2011, 07:01:31 AM

Well the assault version of the Convair Tradewind with the bow ramp did just that. It was designed to go direct to the beach, open the nose and land troops and vehicles. I think carrying their own landing craft like a LVCP or an amphibiuos tractor would pose too much weight penalty for most seaplanes. I'd say go right to the beach (obviously not a heavily defended one), or maybe use small inflatable landing craft (more for raid type assaults). But a big craft like a princess or a Hughes HK1 (Spruce Goose) could carry plenty of troops and a few landing craft. The HK1 did have plans for a bow door. If you want to carry your own conventional landing craft I would recommmend a hatch in the rear of the plane that could lower an few landing craft to the water, then the landing craft would be brought to the side of the airplane and embark troops via side hatches. Would be very cool.

PR19_Kit · August 14, 2011, 01:29:24 PM

I should imagine a Princess could carry a whole Tradewind anyway...........

raafif · August 14, 2011, 06:25:37 PM

well, the Russians thought it a good idea too so came up with the Ekranoplan ....

The Princess might require a total re-design due to its internal structure -- did it have large open spaces inside for small vehicles like Landys etc. Was it strong enough to take light armour or would it just be for infantry ?

Might be a bit too big as well -- "incoming Target !!"

rallymodeller · August 14, 2011, 06:37:21 PM

I don't know that it's a too-far-out idea, after all one of the ideas that was floated (heh, "floated") to save the Princess was a super-sized land-based transport along the lines of the Hercules/Belfast, with a big ramp/door in the back. Move the cockpit to the roof a la Carvair/Argosy and you might have something...

PR19_Kit · August 15, 2011, 01:09:33 AM

Quote from: rallymodeller on August 14, 2011, 06:37:21 PM
Move the cockpit to the roof a la Carvair/Argosy and you might have something...

I'm not sure you'd need to, it was on the third floor anyway!

Hobbes · August 15, 2011, 01:44:49 AM

Carrying landing craft would mean flooding the cargo deck, which is sure to cause design headaches. A ship has enough buoyancy to survive that, an aircraft has much less internal volume below the cargo deck.

sandiego89 · August 15, 2011, 06:57:58 AM

Hobbes, there could be other ways of launching the landing craft- a "well deck" or flooding the cargo deck may not be required. Landing craft could sit on the main cargo deck and be launched out a rear hatch above the waterline. Landing craft could be put on rollers, cradles or a gantry crane could pick them up and lower them out the bottom/aft hatch. Some large aircaft like the C-124 had gantry cranes Again I would recommend something lighter than a LCVP or AMTRACK.

kitnut617 · August 15, 2011, 07:10:25 AM

Wasn't the idea behind the Hughes HK-1 Hercules that it would bring up re-enforcements quickly once the landing was established, not as an assault Transport. The Tradewind was the outcome of that.

The Princess could be utilized the same way

Rheged · August 15, 2011, 07:17:59 AM

Quote from: deathjester on August 14, 2011, 04:48:51 AM
Just pondering about flying boats being kept in service, as their go - anywhere virtues had been realised, and the idea popped into my head of their use as an assault transport for Army/Marines. Would they be able to carry Landing Craft, or would that require too much modification?

There was a fair amount of discussion of Saro Princesses in a thread I started some time ago in the "IDEAS BANK" There was even a cutaway of a "SWING OPEN TAIL" Princess . It was my first post on this site and I was most impressed with the responses from those present. It made me realise that this was a site crammed with erudition, imagination and sheer unadulterated FUN!!

scooter · August 15, 2011, 08:28:22 AM

Quote from: sandiego89 on August 15, 2011, 06:57:58 AM
Hobbes, there could be other ways of launching the landing craft- a "well deck" or flooding the cargo deck may not be required. Landing craft could sit on the main cargo deck and be launched out a rear hatch above the waterline. Landing craft could be put on rollers, cradles or a gantry crane could pick them up and lower them out the bottom/aft hatch. Some large aircaft like the C-124 had gantry cranes Again I would recommend something lighter than a LCVP or AMTRACK.

Higgins Boats or DUKWs, LAPE'd out a rear hatch? Each are about 6tons empty.

Hobbes · August 15, 2011, 10:06:09 AM

LAPES depends on the cargo slowing to a halt gradually, skidding along the surface. When you drop something on water (even a boat) you need to make sure that the cargo neither digs in nor bounces up (see Upkeep/Highball).

deathjester · August 15, 2011, 12:34:41 PM

How about if the Princess sets down, fast taxi's along - while parachute extracting the boats out the back, and then open up and take off again?

Green Dragon · August 15, 2011, 01:36:23 PM

How about some landing craft fitted to the under side of the wing with built in winches for lowering them to sea level?

Paul Harrison

scooter · August 15, 2011, 02:34:33 PM

Quote from: Green Dragon on August 15, 2011, 01:36:23 PM
How about some landing craft fitted to the under side of the wing with built in winches for lowering them to sea level?

Paul Harrison

Severe drag penalties to the aircraft. LCs aren't exactly the most aerodynamic creatures around.